Goals

Our
Goal

NSBN serves as a catalyst and third-party intermediary
to front-fund, convene, and manage collaborative, stakeholder
planning
of smaller, joint-use and community centered schools in
California's urban school districts.

With seed funding, from among others, First 5 LA Commision,
NSBN will manage the master planning of a portfolio of New
Schools throughout Los Angeles County that showcase for state
and local
decision makers the civic and educational value of building
neighborhood centered, mixed use new school facilities.

Our
Process

The master planning process is triggered when all collaborative
partners sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) pledging
to invest staff and resources into
an NSBN facilitated effort that considers opportunities to leverage available
funds. NSBN then underwrites a professional design team to engage local stakeholders
and ensure the project addresses community needs.

Key Elements

Smaller schools

Full-service schools

After-school opportunities

Joint-use and multi-purpose facilities

Healthy, energy efficient "green" schools

Community
engagement

Direct links to community and civic institutions

Using the community
as a learning asset When Does NSBN Play a Role?

New school construction
of K-12 facilities with an early childhood or family
resource center component

High-need area in Los Angeles County

Significant presence of
families with children age 0-5 in the general population

High
incidence of low-birth weight babies, newborn disability
and disease and
family violence.

Low third grade student reading scores.

Site Identification

Identify new joint-use school facility opportunities
through outreach to community
leaders and local government officials.

Fund and provide predevelopment services
to plan joint-use schools with an
early childhood education component.

Master Planning

Frame the best approach for siting, designing
and building community-centered
schools.

Coordinate and facilitate meetings among collaborative partners.

Establish
agreement to build a community- centered school through a
MOU signed
by the collaborative partners.

Community Engagement

Create a strategy to include community input, where appropriate,
from beginning to end-- from determining the site to designing and building
the facility.

Advocacy

Build a permanent constituency to support and implement
a 21st Century vision of community- centered schools.

A focus:
informing laws, regulations and decision- making processes
to implement this vision.

The Problem

Dense urban neighborhoods can not afford public facility
solutions that offer either/or alternatives and that do not benefit
from
meaningful community input.

Need for Collaborative Planning that Incorporates Multiple Community
Needs into School Facility Plans

The Opportunity

Funds available for K-12 schools, early childhood
education, parks, open space, housing and libraries.

Significant Bond Funds Available for New Schools and other Community
Needs

The Solution

Overcome, as residents and taxpayers do, the boundary
between schools and the community both to raise student achievement
and
revitalize our neighborhoods.